Arch support and means for properly locating same



April 27, 1937. c. H. MARRON I 2,078,502

ARCH SUPPORT AND MEANS FOR PROPERLY LOCATING SAME Filed March 23, 1936 C LARA H. Mm olv Patented Apr. 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARCH SUPPORT AND MEANS FOR PROPERLY LOCATING SAME 3 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for properly locating an arch support preparatory to and for placing and securing the support in a shoe.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide means by which an arch support can easily be measured to properly fit a foot and at the same time be properly located in a shoe.

Another object is to provide means by which adjustments in a forward and backward direction can be made as readily as in sidewise directions.

Another object is to provide means by which an arch support can be fitted to a foot and then as well be located and secured in a shoe.

Another object is to provide an arch support that can be securely held on a measuring and locating means and just as easily retained in a a shoe on a removal of the locating means.

Other objects will appear from the following specification and appended claims as well as from the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device and arch support by which the proper location for the support can be measured and ascertained on a foot and by which the support can be placed in a shoe according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective detail illustration of the adjustable bar.

Fig. 3 is a slightly enlarged fragmentary cross section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the support.

It must be understood that a wrong placing of an arch support, even to the slightest extent, can eventually do harm, or at least be painful.

With this kept in mind thoroughly, the im- 5 portance of details and features described hereafter will become more evident.

The base member 5 is illustrated comparatively thick, contrary to actually used devices, and only shown so in order to make the different parts or portions clearer.

This base portion is customarily placed under the heel of a foot with the upright portion 6 of the control member settled against the back of the heel.

The base member 5 is otherwise designed to support and control movements and settings of a bar 1, the member 5 being provided with a crosswise slot of a peculiar cross section, consisting of a larger inner shouldered portion and a narrower open portion 9.

The bar 1, accordingly, is designed with a cross piece II! to shiftably fit within the enlarged portion 8 of the base 5 between the shoulders formed therein, whereby the bar may be shifted from side to side of the base, between points indicated by the arrows H and I2 in such a manner that the 'bar 1 itself will always retain or maintain a certain angular relation to the front edge l3 of the base regardless of whether the bar is nearer to the side II or to the side l2 of the base.

The end shoulders serving in this control of the bar are more clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 and designated at I4 and I5.

While the larger rearmost portion I6 of the base 5 may be considered compartively thick and rigid, particularly as seen in the illustration in Fig. 3, and since it must naturally be of a thickness equal to the combined thicknesses of the front shouldered portion I! in addition to the space 5 and the thickness of the upper lip l8, as stated above, however, all these materials, including that of the bar I are normally as thin as possible, since no particular strength is required, the space 9 then also being accordingly small or narrow.

It is practically essential that the thickness of the whole device be as unobstructive as possible to facilitate a ready and comfortable fitting, inasmuch as the device is to be applied in the shoe with a foot in place if so desired and mostly quite customarily.

The arch-support l9, illustrated in perspective, nearly top view, in Fig. 1, is designed so that it may be adjustably mounted on the bar 1, Fig. 4 showing a suitable aperture through the support this, however, being proportioned so as to sufficiently bind upon the bar to thereby be kept in place for proper fitting purposes.

Such a support is customarily made of pliable and yielding material so that the aperture may be smaller than the cross section of the bar 1 and still be readily shifted and adjusted longitudinallly on the bar.

Thus, while the bar I by its cross piece i is shiftable crosswise to a foot, the support [9 is shiftable lengthwise, sothat the support can be adjusted to any position below the foot, to assure a proper and comfortable location of the support for any particular foot within any shoe.

The base is securely clamped into and so maintained in any certain position within a shoe by a suitably formed clamping portion 20 that extends to a point outside of a shoe in such a manner that the base will thereby be maintained rigidly in the position in which it is desired for a certain fitting and adjustment.

The clamping portion or member 20, though illustrated in a certain form, may, of course, be modified to suit different requirements of different shoes, the principal point being that the base can be maintained for proper fitting and adjustments.

A fitting may then be made while the whole device with the support I9 is kept in the shoe while the person desiring or requiring a fitting steps into the shoe until the support is found to be just where it is most comfortable, the support being adjusted in the different lateral directions, sidewise and back and forth longitudinally, between fittings.

On the other hand, a fitting may be accomplished by a primary fitting directly on the foot before stepping into the shoe, preparatory to a final fitting within the shoe, the primary fitting to bring the support to an approximate position on the bar I and with respect to the base 5, while, after a secure clamping of the base 5 within the shoe, the support may be adjusted still further to bring it to an absolutely correct position by repeated stepping into the shoe with corresponding adjustments until the adjustment is found right.

Such adjustments may be made by an expert chiropodist or foot specialist as well as eventually by any individual desiring the fitting, or in any shoe store.

Though the support I9 is illustrated in a certain form or outer contour, it must be understood that such outer contours depend rather on individual requirements and the invention is, of course, not limited by any such form.

To the underside of the support, a suitable adhesive is appliedyas indicated at 2! in Fig. 4, by which the support is finally secured to the inside of the shoe after the proper fitting. This securing, too, is accomplished in a very simple manner with this device, under the conditions set forth above, the whole device being of such thin material that the bar 1 will readily bend to be withdrawn from the support I9.

In other words, after a proper fitting, the adhesive is mad-e effective, or brought into effect, the support being pressed and thereby glued into its proper position, and the other parts of the whole fitting and adjusting device are then withdrawn.

The support as designed can be directly transferred into a shoe without any marking or measuring.

It must be realized that the forward or metatarsal arch of the foot is so far towards the front of a shoe that it is extremely hard to properly place or mark the correct position for the arch support in the normally restricted forward portion of a shoe after any separately procured measuring on any foot.

By attaching the actual support, that is to be placed in a shoe, on the device described here, by means of the aperture in the support, as set forth above, so that the proper fitting and adjustment can be made as set forth, the proper location being ascertained, the support is then simply secured in place, as set forth.

Such an actual support is preferably made of a pliable material, to yield as required and still offer the required resistance to support a foot properly for the purposes that such an arch support is applied; and this support is provided with adhesive material at the bottom, as indicated at M, to be firmly secured in place in a shoe after a proper fitting as set forth; and, furthermore, the support is also provided with an aperture 22 so close to the underside of the support as to leave little material, as indicated at 23, in Fig. 4, so that the bar 1 will not materially interfere with a proper fitting while the support is still on the bar, bar and base are therefore particularly of thin material, though appearing of comparatively thick material in the drawing.

Base 5, with the securing or control means 6, and the bar 7 are, therefore, very much a part of the whole device together with the support l9, even though the support i9 is later on left in individual shoes, but, as designed and used in this case, the support is also very much a part of these absolutely cooperating combination of specifically design-ed parts.

Having thus described my invention, I claimzshoe, the base have guiding means formed crosswise thereof, and a control member on the base adapted to extend over the top of the shoe towards the outside and terminating in a clamping member designed to hold the base in adjusted positions within the shoe.

2. In a device of the class described, an arch support having a fiat underside provided with an adhesive to be secured in a shoe after a fitting, the arch support having an aperture longitudinally therethrough and close to the underside so designed as to hold the support frictionally to a co-operatively designed fitting device so as to make the support adapted to be used for a locator on the fitting device for a fitting on a foot preparatory to securing the support permanently in the shoe according to the location established on the foot with the fitting device for which purpose the frictional holding is adapted for a withdrawal of the fitting device after the support has been properly located and secured in the shoe.

3. In a device of the class described, a base member of lateral contours to be within the contours of a foot and having abutments extending upwardly over the heel of the foot for definitely locating the base under the heel and foot and so designed as to make it adapted for properly locating the base in a shoe according to the locating on the foot and having still further means in form of guides in the base crosswise to. and under the foot, a bar to extend longitudinally under the foot towards the toe end and having means for crosswise shiftable engagement with said guides, and an arch support adapted to form a locating member shiftable and removable on the bar for a fitting and locating with respect to the foot, the arch-support having a fiat underside with preparation to adhere in the shoe to be withdrawn from the bar after a fitting and locating.

CLARA H. MARRON. 

